At the end of the day music is just another consumer product, it doesn't mean anything. It doesn't change the world or any romantic stuff like that. Just think about it the only time you hear music that on the radio that is 40+ years old is Christmas time. That's the only time I can actually hear Bing Crosby without seeking him out. So after 25-30 years or so no one gives a shit. Bush had their stuff out 15 years ago, so they have reached the atomic 1/2 life.

People change and life changes them. I'm not the same person that I was in 1993 and in some ways if I think about it, if I hold on to that image it's not healthy. Just think of all the people that think that some album of XYZ band is so great and the band was so great until they "sold out." Yea, if only the artist kept the spirit of 19XX he would be awesome. The last time I remember that kind of convoluted logic taken to the extreme some crazy fuck shot "Dimebag" of Pantera when he was playing for another band because he "Broke up Pantera"

People change and adapt. It's not a big deal. Do people think Ozzy sucks because he's more like an Ozzie & Harriet family man? An artist is not going to write songs forever about getting a fake ID, going to the bodega mart and buying 40's to drink with his friends in the back alley when he's over 21, has ID and can go out to a real bar that cards people.

So yea, Gwen decided to move "all in" and do something before she got too old to do or at least without a tons of plastic surgery. So did Jewel and Natalie Imbruglia and to a smaller extent Liz Phair. It's not all about the music, you also have to have the look as well to sell records and tickets touring. They decided to "just sell yourself just cash in" as Jewel said in her song intuition. You just have to be Leary of people who get into the business to become famous and make money.

In the end as Oasis said, "Please don't put your life in the hands
Of a Rock n Roll band Who'll throw it all away." What do you get if you reach the pinnacle of your career? A show on the Vegas Strip?

So yea, that's my long comment that I turned into a post...

It's something that I haven't done for a while. In years past I have done it just to try to alleviate a case of seasonal affective disorder. Nothing lifts the spirits in the cold freezing dark Buffalo winter than coming out of a tanning place after a session complete with a bit of sweat. The way I figure I am not getting any vitamin D when I'm in my pod at work during the 7 hours of overcast daylight we do get. That's why I have a light box sunlamp at my desk. Plus with some wacky skin stuff I do get in the winter I've read that some UV radiation does some good actually.

Plus I think e:metalpeter is right it does "But it could make you feel better and hotter..." I remember when I first hooked up with my Ex, we were in some "no-tel motel" over in Canada by the "places" over on the Lane. Well the room featured mirrors on the walls and thinking back I did feel pretty hot in comparison to her as she's kind of an albino in the sense that she has no color & burns extremely easily and I did tan kind of regularly back then.

I had a very good 2008 and to be honest there is a part of me that is afraid that this year won't stand up to last year. I don't know what motivates women, but for guys the negative is more of a motivator that positive reassurance. I guess it comes down to sports and the "I'll show your ass" mentality that we learn early on in life when the other team runs smack or someone criticizes you. Just look at the NFL playoffs the top 4 top awarded people are out golfing & the two most badgered are playing next weekend. Heck I think of the bowl games only UB didn't cover the spread as an underdog or win outright.

Anyway I have a ton of work to do this year. As I was looking back the only things that would have made a great year into a stellar year would have been me getting married &/or having a kid.

Here is a list of things to do:

1. Get mentally healthy

2. Go to a chiropractor

3. Start being more assertive & take more risks in social situations

4. Go tanning at least once a week to keep my current color going.

5. Work some OT to continue building savings

6. Lose 10 pounds to get back to my "ideal" weight

7. Enter into a healthy relationship some some woman
Simple enough right? Well the OT is not guaranteed, I know you can't bank on something that is out of your control, but from the indication I got today, we may be in for a repeat of last year since I didn't get settled yet back into the job today when the question was popped!

What a really good time last night. Too bad that I had no idea that my friend Steve just would be blown away by the level of how e:strip parties. Although I failed in providing him a good description of what we were going to be doing along with the type of friends that he was going to encounter of mine it was great to see his surprise after he felt out the place. Initially when we pulled up to the 24 he thought that he was going to have a boring night at a stuffy, stuck up and listless group of professional people. This impression of his was due to the "size" of the mansion & me bringing a shrimp plate. Boy, was his initial "size up" off the night WAY OFF...

The party was a good time and pretty wild, but I just had no clue that there are still people that get even more crazier than we do

Reading e:jenks post about not having the night go so well for her it made me think of how many bad NYE's I've had in the past. The one's that stick out were the one's that I had to work or go in early in the am the next day. Where at that point in time my life was just stagnant and emotionally I felt the same way as in this video.